The Midnight Case
by Arnyia
Summary: A new form of Night Howler has appeared on the streets of Zootopia, and Judy is hot on its trail. Partnering up with Nick, the unusual duo must go undercover to find out who is behind it and stop them before its to late. Set 2 years after the end of the movie. Rated M for sexual scenes and violence. *Disclaimer: I don't own*
1. Prologue: The Mistress and the Black Fox

**Prologue: The Mistress and the Black Fox**

The club was packed like always.

The black wolf kept an eye out over the club as he watched for the guests to arrive. He hated the conclaves, but Mr. Big paid well for his services, and it always amused him to see the guests flustered at the end of the evening.

The club had only been open for an hour and was already jammed. The wolf had no idea how a club that only opened its doors once every six months could be so popular. But then again, the club was a cover for an even bigger event, an event that happened every six months: the conclave.

The special guests began to arrive, and he was charged with taking them one by one to a meeting room above the club. Once the last guest had arrived, he closed the doors and locked them before turning to the darkened room full of special guests.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman. As always, Mr. Big welcomes you to his conclave. The rules are simple: you may bid on any merchandise that has been brought and all purchases must be paid for before the items may leave tonight. Remember, the Mistress may interfere on any action, and as Mr. Big's representative, her word is law. Any questions?" the wolf paused. "Good, we shall begin with the first item up to bid tonight." The wolf began going through item after item, always keeping an eye on a figure in the very back of the room. He couldn't see her, no one could, but he knew she was there, watching. He wondered if the evening would end peacefully, or if there would be any action. He hoped for the former, not that he didn't like action, it was just a pain.

The last item had finally come. The wolf announced the name of the item before displaying it. Once again, he looked to the back as he talked. No movement. The wolf opened his mouth to start the bidding when one of the guests stood up.

"How dare you let this sale go through! That item is a prized possession of my family and was stolen just last week! I demand you end this now!" The angry guest turned his gaze to the hidden figure in the very back as he said the last statement. The wolf smiled, knowing what was to come. He turned to look at the figure along with every other guests. Then a light slowly grew, illuminating the hidden figure in the back.

The Mistress smiled as all the guests stared in shock. The wolf knew they weren't expecting a bunny to be the Mistress. She wore a lovely blue dress with long matching sleeves, a matching choker and shoes, and several pieces of matching jewelry. But the most iconic piece was the matching blue ribbon tied around her right ear, a symbolic item that only she wore.

"I apologize," the Mistress' sweet, but silky smooth voice sang. "But I was not informed of this. If you'd like, you and the seller can make private negotiations. Otherwise, the sale will go on as planned."

She gave a smile towards the upset guest, but it only fueled his anger.

"How DARE YOU!" The guest stood and took a step towards the Mistress when a growl stopped him. Suddenly, the guests began to realize that the Mistress wasn't sitting alone, but on someone's lap. Slowly, the light above the Mistress glowed a little brighter to show a fox dressed in black with a pair of black shades, and his teeth bared.

The room was quiet and the wolf cleared his throat. "Well?"


	2. Chapter 1: Another Day

**Chapter 1: Another Day**

Judy woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. Reluctantly, she peeked out from under the covers to check the time: 3:16pm. Sighing, she crawled out of the warm covers and made her way to the kitchen to find something to eat before getting dressed. Under normal circumstances, her day would've started much earlier: she'd be up before the sun and be ready for another exciting day at the station. However, the last two months had been far from normal.

Grabbing a quick "breakfast" of cereal, she got dressed in her police uniform, grabbed her keys, and was on her way to the station. Judy had long since learned that mid-afternoon traffic was impossible to navigate. Using the backstreets, she faced more stops than the direct route she would've taken in the early mornings, but it at least was less crowded at this time of day. Clawhauser's large smile and endless gossiping greeted her as Judy entered the station.

"Good afternoon Judy!" He exclaimed upon seeing her.

"Afternoon Ben," Judy replied, "can you let Bogo know I'm here?"

"Of course! I'll let him know you're on your way up."

Judy made her way to the Chiefs office, knocked, and opened the door. Peeking in, she saw he was in the middle of call, but gestured for her to come in anyways. Judy sat in the chair facing him while she waited for him to finish, doing her best not to decipher who was on the other end of the line.

After a few minutes, when it became clear that the caller was far from ending their conversation, Bogo asked if he could call them back. Thirty seconds later, he hung up the phone and turned to Judy.

"Good afternoon, Hopps. I trust everything is still going fine with the case?"

Judy nodded, "I had a potential lead two nights ago, but Prowl and Powder informed me last night that it was another dud."

Bogo didn't look upset, but Judy sensed that he wasn't thrilled with another dud lead in the case. They had already put two months into the operation and while they were getting some great results in certain parts, others were starting to prove more difficult. Still, Judy knew they still had time. Everyone higher up who knew of the operation knew not to expect results overnight; it would take more than a couple months before anyone saw the end.

"On a different note, Big won't move the conclave to another time. It's scheduled for next Wednesday," Judy announced in a reporting tone, though she was sure her face read complete disappointment.

"You'll just have to see this one through on your own. You know I can't pull Wilde back right now," Bogo said, catching her hint.

"Yeah, it's just too bad we can't make their lips go loose and give us what we need," she replied sarcastically. But when she looked up at the chief, his eyes were dancing with an idea. Judy quickly realized what he was thinking and smirked at her own comment.

"Yes it is," he said, almost smug like. "Keep your claws crossed, Hopps. I just may get Wilde home in time after all."

Judy nodded, but knew better than to get her hopes up. Standing up, she dusted her pants off and turned to leave. "You are planning on putting him on the Midnight Case when he gets back, right?"

"Yes. But I did want to give him some time off after he finishes his case."

She shrugged. "I spose I've gotten along by myself pretty well these last two months, a couple more weeks wouldn't hurt. But I'd be willing to bet a week's worth of pay that he'd rather jump right into the Midnight case than spend a couple weeks being alone and doing nothing."

Bogo cracked a small smile. "You're probably right." Judy hopped down and headed towards the door. "Judy, be careful out there."

"I always am, Chief." She smiled and left Bogo to return to his phone call she had interrupted.

Judy made her way out of the station, stopping by the office she shared with Nick to pick up the latest case notes on the Midnight Case, including Prowl and Powders notes on the dud tip. Giving a quick look at the empty desk across from hers, she left the office and made her way through the precinct towards the parking lot. Giving Clawhauser a wave goodbye, she stepped outside and took a deep breath.

Judy took the chance to make a quick stop by the grocery store before heading home and getting ready for the evening. Once back at the two bedroom apartment she now shared with Nick, Judy put the groceries away and headed towards the spare bedroom. When she started the Midnight case, Mr. Big had insisted on providing the apparel that would help her play the part well. But the sheer amount of clothes he gave her overwhelmed her own closet in the bedroom, so she made the spare bedroom into a half storage room, half dressing room. Digging through the countless outfits, she chose a green sleeveless dress she had yet to wear, a pair of heels that matched, and a green choker, all of which glittered with the light. Grabbing a green ribbon and some emerald earrings, bracelets, and ankle bracelets, Judy went back to the bedroom to get dressed. After applying some makeup, she took the ribbon and tied it around her right ear.

Judy went to a full sized mirror (another gift from Big) and gazed at her reflection. She was no longer the bunny cop the city knew and loved, but now the boss of the most expensive club in downtown: the Midnight Club. The ribbon on her right ear being the signature mark that told the underworld she was none other than the Mistress.

Judy was still gazing at her image when her radar ears caught the subtle buzzing of her phone from the bed. Picking it up, the screen showed a black panther on the background under the "answer" and "ignore" buttons. Hitting the "answer" button, Judy placed the phone to her ear as she made her way through the apartment to grab a few last items.

"Yes?" Judy asked while grabbing a black purse with a long strap.

"I'm here madam," the voice of the black panther Manchas replied. Judy grabbed a pistol, making sure it was loaded, three sharp daggers, and some extra rounds from the dining room table where she had left them earlier this morning and stuffed them into the purse.

"Good. I'll be down shortly." Judy didn't wait for a response before ending the call and placing the phone into her purse along with her ID and police badge. Going over towards the door, she put on a simple black coat, slung her purse over her shoulder and locked the apartment up as she headed down to the street. She made her way around the building to an ally where a white limo sat waiting for her. Standing by one of the doors was a polar bear dressed in a simple black tuxedo. Upon seeing her walking up, he bent down and opened the door, helped the bunny get into the limo before entering himself. Once seated, the bear knocked on the little window separating the back from the front, telling Manchas they were ready to go. As the limo began making its way toward the club, Judy glanced out of the window, letting her mind wander back to a memory from six months ago.

" _Look Judy, I don't like this anymore than you do. But Bogo is right; I'm the only one who can do this!" Nick said as he threw clothes into his duffle bag. Judy sat there, arms crossed, scowling as she watched the fox pack. They had just got home after the briefing._

" _I know. And I know it can only be you, I just wish I could be with you." Nick was undressing, changing into his street clothes. Judy held back a sob; they had planned a whole evening together that night, including sex, but now it wouldn't happen. And on top of it that, she probably wouldn't see him for several months. Bogo had said that it would be at least a two month long undercover operation._

" _Come on Carrots, I'll be fine. And don't worry, once I get back, we'll take a vacation and get some us-time," Nick bent down and kissed her. "Just be patient, okay?" Judy nodded._

" _Well then," Nick stood up and started for the front door, "I better be off. Can't keep stalling or I'll never get back!" And with a wink, he was out the door._

 _Judy just stood there silently crying as his footsteps grew faint. Since he became her partner a little over a year and a half ago, it was the first time they had been separated on a case. And it had only been a few months since they finally confessed their love for each other. Everything was slowly falling into place, until Bogo needed a little-known officer to go undercover in some big border case. She knew it wasn't Bogo's fault, that he hadn't planned it, but it still hurt._

 _Bogo had tried to keep her mind off of it by giving her plenty of small, easy to solve cases. And he even let them stay in contact via texts. But after four months, something happened, and Bogo called for silence between the two. The next day, Bogo and the Mayor got news of the Howler tablets._

Judy was brought back to the present when her polar bear guard cleared his throat, indicating they had arrived at the club. Judy looked at the bear and nodded, then followed him out of the limo. They were in an underground parking garage with an unmarked door less than 3 meters from the door of the limo. Three more polar bear guards stood by the unmarked door. Judy began walking towards the door, while one of the bears opened it for her. She made her way through the doorway, up two flights of stairs, and down a couple hallways till she stood in front of a pair of ornate double doors. A grey wolf in a complete black suit stood between Judy and the double doors.

"Good evening Glenn," Judy nodded to the wolf.

"Good evening Mistress," Glenn replied, then turned and opened the doors.

Judy took a deep breath, and stepped through the doorway. The Midnight Club would be opening soon.


	3. Chapter 2: Midnight

**Chapter 2: Midnight**

Nick's arms were crossed as he looked down at the female weasel bound in his closet. He had come back to the little bachelor pad he had been living in for the last six months to find her snooping through his things. And while he kept no real evidence there that he was a cop, Nick knew it would only be a matter of time before she put the pieces together. He would need to take care of her and soon, but how to do so without rousing suspicion was the real question.

Nick's ears perked at the sound of the front door opening. Deciding to deal with the weasel later, he closed the closet door and walked towards the open front door.

"Hey, Berts wants the whole crew at the warehouse. Said something about some awesome goods he got his paws on." The snow white fox gave Nick a quick once over. "What's got your fur in a not?"

"A weasel weaseled her way in here."

"And? Did you deal with her"

Nick rolled his eyes. "No, I let her run off. Of course I dealt with it Artie." Nick sighed. He didn't like this case to begin with. When the artic fox Artie Snow showed up, it made him like the case that much less. "Come on, let's go." Nick said and led the way to the warehouse, which wasn't far from the pad.

As they walked, Nick thought about how he got stuck with Artie in the first place. Apparently, the chief of police over in the city of Animal Crossing had a few too many officers, and decided to send a few to Zootopia. Two months earlier, Nick had gotten into a situation that almost gave his cover away. Bogo's solution: send in the arctic fox that had been dumped on ZPD. Since then, not only did Nick have to babysit the annoying kit, but he couldn't talk to Judy anymore. And after two months of this, his patience was running dangerously thin.

Artie had been chatting up a storm as they walked. Like normal, Nick ignored him. Thankfully, he shut his trap as they entered the warehouse. Nick scanned the scene, searching for the bobcat Berts. He was surrounded by other crew members when the bobcat spotted Nick and Artie.

"Dudes! You have to try these!" Berts exclaimed as he ran to the two foxes holding a container with large blue tablets. He handed one to each fox, but only Artie took it. After consuming the tablet, Artie turned to Berts. "What are these?"

"You're asking that now? AFTER taking it?" Nick stated.

"Only the best thing ever!" Berts explained. "They're Midnight Tablets." And with that he ran back to the rest of the crew to hand out more. Nick's eyes widen at the statement. Looking at the tablet in his paw, he remembered a text he had gotten from Bogo last night. It was the only time the chief had ever contacted Nick himself in the last six months. The text was a single line: _keep an eye out for Midnight._ Nick had thought it was kind of weird, but decided to investigate it later. And after a night's worth of sleep, he'd forgotten about the text till now. Two questions came to Nick as he looked at the tablet: what was Midnight, and how did the chief know about it.

Nick looked around the warehouse. Everyone wore lazy expressions and were lounging around, laughing at nothing in particular. Deciding not to try it, Nick dropped the tablet to the floor and grounded it to dust with his foot.

Artie was laughing next to him. "Dude! I feel great!"

"That's nice."

"Nick, you gotta try these!"

"How bout no."

"Oh come on, Nicky!"

"No." Nick glared at him.

"Just try one."

"I said 'no'."

Artie wasn't getting the message, clearly. He kept pestering Nick to try it.

"Look," Nick turned Artie so they were eye to eye. "I'm not gonna try it. Now, why don't you go over and play with the other boys? Or better yet, go cool your head or something!"

Artie gave him a lazy eyed look and nodded. Then to Nick's surprise, he walked to one of the large tubs of beer in the warehouse and plunged head first into it. Nick watched in a mixture of fascination and horror as Artie began swimming around. Realizing the situation would get bad quick, Nick started towards the tub when someone's shouting stopped him in his tracks.

"Dude! Best idea ever Artie!" Berts yelled at the white fox, and proceeded to lead the rest of the crew to the tub. Nick could only stare, than an idea came to him. Quickly, Nick ran and grabbed Berts arm before he could jump in.

"Hey! Where'd you get those tablets?" Nick asked.

"Some dude gave them to me. Said they were right up my ally and would give me more to sell if I liked the product." Nick was pretty sure that wasn't something you should tell a lower level crew member such as himself. But it proved just how loose-lipped the tablets made an animal.

"Have you given any tablets to the boss yet?" Nick asked, hopping that the power of suggestion was influential enough.

"No," Berts said, then brightened up. "Should I?"

Nick smiled and said one word. "Yeah!"

Nick watched as Berts ran to the boss's office. Several minutes later he ran out and joined the crew in their tub of beer. Nick waited ten minutes more before going to the office. Peeking in, he was pleasantly surprised to see the boss as giddy as the rest of the crew. With a smug smile, Nick went to work. Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the boss's office with a folder in one paw and his phone in the other. He dialed the number to the officer who he was to contact when he had the proof.

"Yes?" Came a voice over the speaker.

"It's Wilde. I have what we need. Everyone is at the warehouse." Nick replied. Then, as a second thought, added "oh, and bring swimming suits. You're gonna need them." And with that, he hung up and walked back into the main room of the warehouse to watch the loaded, drunk animals as he waited for backup to come.

He didn't have to wait for long; within ten minutes the place was flooded with officers. Nick thoroughly enjoyed the flabbergasted looks that came to the officers as they took the whole scene in. Officer Lang, Nick's contact, groaned as he understood what Nick had meant with the swimsuit comment. Turning to the other officers, Lang began ordering them to sweep the area and capture all of the dry animals first. As the officers ran in different directions, Lang turned to Nick.

"Bogo is outside. Wanted to speak to you personally."

Nick nodded. "There's a weasel in the closet of the pad. Broke in this morning while I was out." Lang grunted, but spoke a command in his radio for another officer to follow up.

Nick made his way outside the warehouse and spotted Bogo quickly. The buffalo was sitting in the driver's seat of a cruiser, watching the scene outside of the warehouse. Nick walked to the cruiser and knocked on the window; Bogo turned to him, and gestured for Nick to get in. Nick did, and after he closed the door behind him, offered the file to Bogo.

"This is everything then?"

Nick nodded and watched as Bogo flipped through the files. "Good."

"So, care to explain what happened in there?" Nick asked. He half expected the buffalo to just glare at him and kick him out of the cruiser. However, Bogo actually chuckled.

"Thought you could use a little assistance." Nick stared at him, so he continued. "It was Hopps' idea actually."

"And you agreed with it?" Nick asked, a little stunned.

"Under normal circumstances, no. But it's been six months since you started this operation, and it should've only taken two at the most!" Nick held up his paws in defense, but Bogo kept talking. "I know, I know. It's your first full solo undercover operation. And even then, it wasn't actually your fault that it took this long."

They were silent for a moment as they stared out the window. Nick couldn't help but smirk as a couple of officers were dragging Artie out. His white fur was now brown from his swim in the beer, and judging on how well he was staggering with the officers help, Nick guessed the fox had swallowed a good amount of it as well.

"What is Midnight?" Nick finally asked.

Bogo started the cruiser. "A drug that makes the user extremely relaxed and happy." He turned the cruiser around. "While in such a state, the user will often be susceptible to the power of suggestion; often willing to do something they normally wouldn't. They will also be more forthcoming with information, and will generally avoid negative thoughts and actions. They are very willing to do anything that will keep the euphoria going."

"Wow. I never knew such a drug existed."

"That's because it didn't exist till two months ago," Bogo stated as he stopped the cruiser in front of the bachelor pad. "Go get your things and I'll explain the rest on the way back to the precinct."

Nick nodded and got out. He quickly ran and stuffed the few items he had in his duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder. There were two officers there, one holding the weasel that broke in, and another who was packing Artie's things. Nick gave a small nod to them before leaving the pad and returning to Bogo's cruiser.

"Okay, so if it's only existed for a few months now, how do you already know about it?" Nick asked as Bogo pulled from the curb and took off in the direction of downtown, back to the precinct.

"Because we created it." Nick's jaw slackened. Bogo didn't have to look at Nick's expression to know the fox was surprised and confused. Chuckling, the buffalo continued on. "Around the same time you almost blew your cover, a couple officers arrested a badger with some contraband in his possession. Among them were some blue tablets that we had never seen before. So I had them tested to find out what they were.

"When the test results came back, the forensic scientists had found that the tablets were made from concentrated Night Howlers. And eventually, the badger revealed that the tablets were called Howler Tablets and were being sold in the underworld. I decided to bring Hopps in on the case. After all, she worked the original Night Howler case. But trying to find anything on the Howler Tablets proved more difficult than we had initially thought. Hopps even went to Big to see if he knew something or had even heard of them, which he hadn't.

"So we were at a crossroads: we had no leads and only just the knowledge that they existed. But we also knew we couldn't just abandon the case. That's when Hopps suggested an undercover operation. I'll admit, at first I wasn't sure it would work. But she's gotten farther on the case than I thought, and it is proving successful to an extent." Nick raised an eyebrow, but remained silent and let Bogo continue.

"Hopps pointed out that if there was an identical looking tablet that was easier to get and affected animals differently, it could cause enough issues for the animal behind the Howler Tablets to trip up and give us a lead to follow. With Big's help, we created such a tablet and a way to sell it."

Nick smiled at the thought, _that's my girl._ Give it to Judy to find a way around a tough situation. And with such a sneaky solution too.

"And that's how Midnight was created. Big renovated the old club you two use for the conclaves, and Hopps acts as the Mistress and keeps an eye on everything while distributing the Midnight Tablets. There are also seven other officers who are working undercover at the club to help Hopps." They continued riding in silence for a few minutes.

"So," Nick looked at Bogo, "when do I get to go in and help Judy?"

"Whenever you'd like. I planned on giving you a few days off after yo-"

"I don't need the time off." Nick said, cutting Bogo off. "I can start immediately."

Bogo actually laughed. "Good thing I didn't make that bet with Hopps. Very well, you can start tonight."

Nick smiled at that thought. The rest of the drive to the precinct was spent discussing the case Nick had just finished. He was somewhat pleased when Bogo apologized for sending Artie in, though Nick had never really blamed the buffalo. When Nick told him of that morning's events, Bogo was in tears from laughing so hard.

Bogo pulled into the ZPD parking lot not long after that. Turning the cruiser off, he turned to Nick. "One last thing you need to know about the Midnight Case: only a small handful of officers know of the operation. And even less know about the Midnight tablet."

Nick nodded, "So selling it in the break room is out then?" Bogo glared at him. "Okay okay, lips sealed. Got it."

Nick got out of the cruiser and headed into the precinct. While he was anxious to get home and relax, there was still one more thing Nick had to do to wrap up the stupid border case: the paperwork. He knew he wouldn't have a chance to do it later, and honestly, he probably wouldn't do it later if he did procrastinate. _I guess Carrots has rubbed a bit more off on me than I thought_ , Nick said to himself as he headed up to their shared office.

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 **Thanks for reading! Reviews are very much welcomed!**


	4. Chapter 3: Reunion

**Chapter 3: Reunion**

The sound of the front door unlocking barely registered in Judy's extremely exhausted mind. So when she heard the door open and close followed by footsteps, she sleepily contemplated whether she should go and investigate the source of the sounds or fall back to sleep and ignore them. As the footsteps got louder, she was in mid-battle, with sleep very close to winning.

"Sheesh. I'm gone for six months and she lets the place go to ruins." Judy's ears sprang to life at the sound of Nick's voice; any attempt to sleep now was lost in her excitement.

"NICK!" Judy's exclamation in addition to her sudden appearance from under the covers completely caught the fox unaware, causing him to jump. She giggled at his wide-eyed expression before bouncing over the bed and into his arms. Nick caught her with ease and pulled her in close for a hug.

"I missed you," he whispered into her ear.

"I missed you too," she replied.

"So, care to explain why you're naked and asleep at oh," Nick glanced at the small alarm clock on the side table. "Two o'clock in the afternoon?"

Judy felt herself go red with embarrassment. She had forgotten that she had gone to bed without putting any clothes on, having been too tired to really dig something out. Though it hadn't been the first time she'd gone to sleep naked. With a small "eep", she pushed herself out of Nick's arms and ran to the closet to find something to put on real quick.

"I wasn't expecting you to be home so soon," Judy said over her shoulder.

"Clearly," Judy didn't have to look at him to know Nick was sporting his signature smirk. "But I do have to admit, best welcome home gift ever!"

With an oversized shirt and pair of panties on, Judy turned around to find Nick watching her while leaning against the doorway. "Yeah, well, you're welcome." She huffed and walked past him to get something to eat. Nick followed her with his paws in his pockets.

"You still haven't explained why you were asleep."

"Oh. I didn't get home till 7 this morning." Judy said it nonchalantly.

"What. Why?" Concern was plastered all over Nick's face.

Judy shrugged. "Had an issue right at closing. By the time all the paperwork was done and the idiot on his way to the precinct, it was close to a hour and a half after the club closed."

Judy looked up and couldn't help bursting out laughing; Nick was wearing an adorable expression of confusion. "Bogo did tell you about the Midnight case, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Well, the center of operation for it is the club. You know, the one we ran the Conclaves out of."

Nick nodded, "Yeah, Bogo told me this morning, along with the basics of the case."

"Good. Then you have an idea of what's going on. Anyways, the club opens at 6 in the evening and doesn't close till 5 in the morning." Judy watched as Nick pieced together all the little fine details. Slowly, he realized just how screwed up her sleeping schedule had gotten.

"So when do you normally get up?" he asked as he walked to the dining room table which was covered with files and paperwork on the case.

"Around 3," Judy said as she opened a bag of veggie chips and began snacking on them. She watched Nick pick up a couple of papers and read through them. Eventually he let them fall back onto the table and turned to face her.

"So, wanna tell me the finer details over lunch?"

Judy scowled. "Sure, but let me go get changed."

"Why? You look dressed enough to me." He gave her a smirk.

"Ha. To cook in, sure. But we don't have food, so we either have to go out or go to the store. Either way, I still need to get _properly_ dressed."

While Judy got dressed, Nick went and got his personal phone, which he had left in his bedside table before he went undercover. Bogo had given him another phone for the operation, which according to Nick, was "cheap and dumb". She glanced over at the fox as she buttoned up her shirt. Nick was smiling as he began scrolling through various apps on his smartphone.

Judy began tapping her foot against the floor as she impatiently waited for Nick to notice she was ready. It took about three minutes before Nick's ears twitch and he looked up from the screen.

"Oh," he gave a sheepish apologetic smile. "Ready?"

"Yup," she turned and grabbed her phone, keys, and wallet before leaving the apartment with Nick following her.

"Where we going?" he asked.

"It's a surprise. But you're gonna like it!"

"You know, it's amazing how much you can forget in six months." Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets as he followed her out of the building to the truck that Judy's parents had gotten for her.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Well, for example, your little foot tapping." Judy raised an eyebrow at him as they got into the truck. "Six months ago, I would've jumped at the sound of your foot within a minute. I could even hear it from another room."

"Oh. I see," she smiled at Nick as she started driving towards their destination. "Don't worry. I'm sure it won't take you that long to get back into the groove of things."

"Hopefully." Nick went back to checking things on his phone. Judy thought about when they first moved into an apartment together. Nick had just graduated from the academy, and Judy had had enough of her noisy neighbors. So they agreed to share an apartment.

"You know it's been two years already?" Judy asked Nick out of the blue, slightly startling the fox.

"Two years?"

"Yeah. Since we moved in together."

"Oh... Wow." He looked outside for a few moments. "And we've been dating for eight months already, if you count the last six months that we've been apart." Judy laughed, causing Nick to look at her. "What?"

"I just realized something. My parents haven't met you yet."

"But you've told them about me?"

"Yes. But I never told them about us."

Nick went back to his phone."Can't wait to hear that conversation." Judy giggled. Nick always overheard her conversations with her parents.

"We're here."

Nick looked out at the sign. "Freddie's?"

"Yup. They started building it not long after you left, and finished it a couple months ago."

Nick looked back at Judy. "Have you eaten here before?"

"Sure! I love their veggiedogs!"

Nick followed Judy into the fast food restaurant. Judy gave Nick a few minutes to look over the menu before placing their order and going to sit down in a booth together. Judy placed the stand with their order number on the edge of the table.

"So, what all did Bogo tell you?" Judy asked as she sipped her chocolate milkshake.

"Just that you found the Howler Tablets, created the Midnight Tablets, and use the club to distribute them."

"I see, quite literally the basics."

"Yup. Can I ask a rather obvious question," Judy nodded. "Has anyone looked int-," Nick paused as a waitress came to deliver them their food and take their order number stand. "Into whether Bellwether has any involvement?"

"Of course. It was the first thing we did."

"And?"

Nick waited for her to swallow the bite of veggiedog she had just taken. "She's not. In fact, she's had no outside communication. And she had even been in solitary confinement for several weeks when we had checked."

"Darn." He took several bites of his bugburger. "Wow, this is amazing!"

"Isn't it?" Judy said between fries. " But yeah, we looked into several people from the Night Howler case, but none of them had any knowledge of Howler Tablets."

"Right." Nick took a sip of his Dr. Pawpper. "So how do you distribute the tablets?"

Judy took another bite of her veggiedog. "Before I go into that, let me start by explaining the finer details of the op. We'll be reprising our roles of the Mistress and the Black Fox. Oh, and the club has been renamed to the Midnight Club."

Nick went into a coughing fit after trying to laugh while drinking. "How original." he said when he could breath again.

"Careful, B was the one who renamed it." Nick nodded and went back to eating his burger. "Speaking of which, I should probably call him and let him know you're back. Remind me when we get back to the truck." Judy paused to take a drink of her milkshake. "Anyways, every evening, around 5:15, Manchas picks me up in the alley behind the apartment building and drives me to the club. Once there, I go to the suite on the 2nd floor. Oh, did I mention that B remodeled the club?"

"No, but Bogo did."

"Ah, good. Well, I take care of all the miscellaneous business from the suite. I also keep tabs on how much Midnight is distributed." Nick finished his burger and was slowly working on his fries. Judy had finished her veggiedog and fries while she was explaining. "Midnight is only distributed in the club, and only a single tablet per hour to qualifying patrons."

"So, they order it like a drink?"

"Yup. In fact, it's the bartender to gives them to the waitresses."

"And what are the qualifications to get a tablet?"

"Technically, anyone over 18 can enter the club. But they must be 21; the same as if they wanted to get alcohol. To make sure, only the waitresses who are undercover cops can hand them out."

Nick finished his fries and downed the last of his drink. "You ready to go?" He asked as he gathered up the trash.

Judy took one last drink from her milkshake and handed the cup to Nick. "Yup."

Nick threw away the trash on their way to the truck. Once inside, Judy took out her phone and dialed Big's number. She listened to the dialing tone a few times before she heard someone pick up on the other end.

"Hello." Came the ruff voice of the polar bear, Koslov.

"It's Judy. Can you let Mr. Big know that Nick is back and will be joining me at the club starting tonight."

There was a moment of silence. "Alright," the line went dead after that.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" Nick was smirking. Judy shook her head at his comment, then started the truck.

The trip back to the apartment was spent discussing some of the things they had done in the last six months. It was mostly Judy who talked, as Nick couldn't really discuss what he had been up to due to the case. Judy was in the middle of explaining one of the more complicated cases Bogo had put her on when they got to the apartment, and finished the story up in the apartment while Nick unpacked his duffle bag.

"Uh, Judy dear?" Nick had gone to put his duffle bag in the spare bedroom when he called out.

"Yes?" Judy asked from their bedroom. She was slightly puzzled; Nick never called her by her real name, much less add "dear" to it.

"Can you, uh, come here?" Judy got up to go in the other room when she remembered the dresses. _Oh cheese and crackers_ , she cursed to herself. Nick was staring at the clothes when she walked in.

"Big gave them to me." She explained quickly.

"All of them?"

"Yes. He said that I needed to look rich."

Nick picked one of the dresses up and looked at it. "It's handmade. They're all handmade." Judy nodded.

"Big had them all tailored just for me."

"You sure he hasn't secretly adopted you when I wasn't looking?"

Judy laughed. "No. But he did give me that nice mirror in the bedroom."

"I wondered where that came from." Nick then turned around to face Judy. "We have about an hour and a half before we have to be ready for Manchas, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

Nick grinned. "Cause I wanna see some of these on you!"

* * *

 **Woot Woot! 3rd chapter is up! Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Midnight Club

**Chapter 4: The Midnight Club**

Judy had eventually agreed to the fashion show. She made Nick wait in the living room while she got dressed; coming out to show him each dress. Each time, he would critique them and give them a rating between 1 and 10, with 1 being ugly and 10 being gorgeous. They had gotten through eleven dresses by the time she had called it.

Around 5 o'clock, Judy had said it was time to get ready. She had given him his black suit from the closet and told him to get ready in the living room. When he asked if he could suggest an outfit, she told him she already had that evening's dress picked out, and then shut and locked the bedroom door. Some time later, Nick heard her talking to someone on the phone. The conversation was short, and a minute later she opened the door and stepped out. Nick was honestly disappointed; Judy had put on a long black coat covering most her body. He could only see the blue ribbon around her ear and blue heels.

"Come on, Manchas is here." She said while picking up her purse. "You have everything?" Nick nodded as he slipped on his designer shades. After he had gotten dressed, Nick had gone to the safe in the spare bedroom and retrieved his gun and ammo. He had also made sure he had his wallet and badge, as well as a switchblade. Nick followed Judy out of the apartment and around to the back where a white limo was waiting.

The ride to the club hadn't been exciting. The polar bear guard seemed to know that Nick would be joining Judy, though apparently someone forgot to tell Manchas. The panther had attempted to start a conversation with Nick, but was shut down pretty quickly by a look from the bear.

Nick was actually quite curious to see how much Big had renovated the place. He made a mental note to come back in the afternoon to see the outside, as the route Manchas used took them around the back, and away from the public eye.

The underground entrance was the same as always. There were two polar bear guards standing outside the industrial door that was the private entrance. Only three animals in all of Zootopia used that entrance: Mr. Big, Judy, and Nick. As the limo stopped, the guard accompanying them stepped out and helped Judy exit the vehicle with Nick following.

Nick let Judy lead as they went through the door. The moment he crossed the threshold, the scent of new carpet and paint momentarily overwhelmed him. As he followed along, Nick noted that Big had spared no expense; there was new carpets, paint, and even light fixtures. Eventually, they came to a pair of ornate doors that he hadn't seen before, though he suspected they led to the private room they used to use while they waited for the Conclaves to start.

A pair of wolves, one black and one grey, stood in front of the doors, both dressed in complete black. Nick recognized the black wolf, Gray. Gray had been in charge of the Conclaves; bringing guests to and from the meeting room and running the auctions. But the other wolf was unfamiliar.

"Gray? What are you doing here?" Apparently, Gray hadn't been working at the club since the last Conclave. All it took was Judy's surprised inquiry for Nick to figure out that he wasn't the only change to the roster that night.

"Mr. Big asked me to take over as the club manager starting tonight." the black wolf replied. "Glenn will be working the floor as the assistant club manager." Nick guessed that the grey wolf was Glenn.

"And did Mr. Big give a reason behind this change?" There was anger in Judy's voice, and Nick hadn't been the only one to catch it. Glenn seemed to be a little surprised by Judy's tone.

Gray nodded. "Only that I would be better suited to keep an eye on things."

Nick couldn't see Judy's expression, but he guessed that she was glaring daggers. Meanwhile, Glenn had been glaring at Nick the entire time and Gray only kept his emotionless expression; patiently waiting for Nick to intervene and calm the quickly raging bunny down.

Nick reached out and tugged at Judy's ear, causing the bunny to pause and glance at him. "Surely you hadn't expected Big not to change a few things with my return?"

Judy opened her mouth to comment, but decided against it. Seeing her content with the situation, Gray turned around and opened the doors before stepping to the side to let them enter.

Nick hadn't actually expected the suite to look the way it did. The entire room had been redone in red, purple and gold. On the left side of the room was a seating area; three large black couches were placed in a 'U' shape facing a 60" flatscreen mounted on the wall. The right side of the room was filled with a large mahogany bar. Monogrammed glasses with the letter 'M' sat on bar ready for use; dozens of different types of liquor were on the shelves mounted to the wall behind the bar. A female leopard in a tight purple cocktail dress stood behind the bar, looking up as Judy and Nick entered. At the very back of the room was a small set of stairs leading up to a platform. Two more polar bear guards stood on either side of the platform in front of a sheer curtain.

Glenn came over and helped Judy out of her coat, making sure not to touch her purse. If Nick hadn't been so absorbed in the dress Judy had on, he would've growled at Glenn's actions. The dress itself was made of a glittery fabric the shade of blueberries. It was a halterneck style, wrapping around her neck like a choker, and was solid in the front with her back completely exposed. The garment was floor length, but had a leg slit starting just a couple inches below her hips. To complete the look, Judy wore several matching bracelets and anklets.

Nick wasn't quite sure how long he had been staring at her; he had been so absorbed in the intoxicating creature standing before him. At one point, in an attempt to bring him back to reality, Judy had struck her signature pose, which hadn't helped at all. With her arms crossed and her hip cocked to one side, all Nick could think about was how sexy she looked.

Judy's little foot tapping finally snapped Nick out of his trance, quickly realizing that his mouth had been ajar and his shades no longer on. He gave her a small smile and slid his shades back into place before nodding at her. Judy shook her head, then lead the way towards the platform in the back.

Nick stopped just beyond the curtains, taking a moment to take in the site. The space beyond the curtains had been added onto the suite during the renovation. It was a round platform several meters in diameter. Glass circled the platform giving a 270 degree view of the club below. In the center of the platform sat a large circular chair; its back to the curtains so it faced the window. Nick walked around the chair and looked down at the club.

He had seen the inside of the club once before, when Big had given them a personal tour of it. Then, the club had just gotten a good cleaning and looked surprisingly decent for having not been used for close to five years. But now it looked completely different. The entrance was off to the right. Private booths lined the walls on the left, directly across from the entrance. Tables and larger booths were lined on the opposing wall. In the very center was a dance floor, which was dug into the ground several feet and fenced around with railings. There was a DJ booth on the far side of the club with a dancing podium on either side. Like the suite, the entire club was colored in red, purple, and gold. Everything from the velvet curtains on the private booths to the leather stools at the tables looked expensive. As Nick looked around the club, he noticed that there wasn't a bar at all.

"So?" Judy's voice interrupted him. "What do you think about it?"

"It looks great. Expensive, but great," Nick was still looking at the different amenities. "Uh, where's the bar?"

Judy giggled. "Right under us. I can't watch everything from up here, so we decided that the bar could be the one thing that I didn't need to watch." Nick looked back out and quickly saw what she meant. No matter how they made it, there would be one wall that you wouldn't be able to see from the suite.

Movement from behind the DJ booth caught Nick's attention. He stared as a pair of beige pointed ears bounced around behind the booth. After a minute or two, a head popped up from behind before disappearing again.

"Is that... Finnick?" Nick asked.

"Oh yeah. I hired him on as the DJ." Judy explained. Nick snorted. He could think of all kinds of hell he could give the fennec fox. "He's pretty good." Judy continued.

"He always did have a good ear for music," Nick's attention was drawn to the various animals walking around as they waited for the doors to open.

"See those three?" Judy pointed towards a group of waitresses in the corner.

"Yeah."

"They're ZPD. So is the bartender. As well as Julia." Judy motioned with her head on the last sentence. Nick realized she meant the leopard behind the suite bar. "Oh, and the two bouncers."

"So, eight, including you," Nick counted quickly. While that was a lot of officers working undercover, there were even more personnel that were working for Big.

They were silent for a moment. Fennick was doing a sound check, and Nick could feel the vibrations up on the platform.

"Relax, would ya?" Nick raised an eyebrow at Judy. "Your tail has been twitching non stop this entire time."

"Oh," Nick attempted to hide his tail from Judy's line of sight. "It's just, it's not as private as I was expecting."

Judy smiled. "The glass is a special type of glass. You can only see one way through it. We can see out, but they," Judy gestured to the club floor "can't see in. And there are curtains that I can pull around to keep anyone in the suite from looking in." Judy pointed out the curtains on edge of the platform. They were thick velvet curtains that you would find at a theater.

Nick felt the tension in his shoulders ease up. He hadn't realized how tense he'd gotten up till now. Flashing Judy a smirk, he took his shades off, loosened his black and grey striped tie, and crawled onto the chair. It was so large, he could use it as a bed.

Turning over onto his back, he propped himself on the pillows against the very back of the chair. Not a moment later, Judy kicked her heels off and hopped onto the chair before positioning herself right over Nick's lap. A smile spread over Nick's lips as he watched her lay her head on his torso, letting herself completely relax.

"Comfortable?" Nick asked.

"Mmhm" was her response.

Nick watched her small body rise and fall with their breathing. He was half tempted to close his eyes and fall asleep right there, but he knew better. He was there as a final fail safe to make sure nothing happened to her. His entire job was to make her comfortable and always be watching.

They stayed like that for a good fifteen minutes before a sound interrupted and caused Judy to stir. She had lifted her head at the sound of the suite doors opening. Glancing at Nick, she gave him a small smile before moving to a sitting position.

"Mistress," it was Gray.

"Yes, come in." Judy's voice was authoritative, with no hint of hesitation.

Nick turned his head as he watched the wolf step through the curtains. But he wasn't alone; following him was a male jaguar wearing a purple button shirt and black slacks. Upon seeing Nick, the jaguar stopped, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Just a sec, Linx." Judy said as she stood up from her position on Nick's lap. Nick turned and watched as she went the a wall, opening a hidden door to reveal a safe. After entering the code, she reached in and pulled out four tubes before closing both doors and turning around. "200 tablets," she handed them to the jaguar.

"Right."

"And Gray, please keep business matters to a minimum. I want a quiet evening tonight."

"Of course. Mistress, Black." the wolf bowed before leading Linx the jaguar out of the suite.

The moment they stepped back through the curtains, Judy had returned to her spot on top of Nick. Leaning up, he gave her a passionate kiss on the lips before moving to her neck, giving it a gentle nip. She moaned quietly into his ear, the sweet smell of her sexual arousing scent filling his nostrils. He let out a low growl as his desire to take her grew.

"Wait." she whispered, her voice soft. Pushing him back, Nick frowned.

"What?" he asked, scanning her face for the answer. Judy only smiled, then stood up and put her heels back on.

"Just wait. I need to do something first. It'll only take a minute," giving him a wink, she walked through the curtains and disappeared.

Nick sank back into the couch. He smiled as he realised just how much Judy had grown in the last couple months. When they had first started the Conclaves, Judy had been so nervous about her role, she had almost screwed everything up. It had been the first official case Nick had worked as an officer, and had gotten a lead on a missing artifact they were suppose to find. But they had no way of actually getting the artifact back. With little options left, they had gone to Mr. Big to see if he could get it. He suggested holding a Conclave, which in the past had been a way for big underworld bosses to share information and goods. They used his old abandoned club as the meeting place, modifying the meeting room, and added hidden security cameras to use for evidence.

They were to be the hosts of the event, acting as Mr. Big's representatives. Initially, Nick wanted to take the lead role, as his street knowledge and underworld experience was greater than Judy's. However, Big thought it would be better if Judy took the lead, and given his reasons, Nick had to agree. With Judy's cute and innocent appearance, the idea that she could have more power than any other animal in the room was more terrifying than a cunning fox with the same amount of power. Add the impression that that same bunny had complete control over a fox, the natural enemy of bunnies, and the amount of fear increased exponentially. Ultimately, it came down to Judy's acting skills though. She had to act cold, assertive, and conniving. She had conniving down pat and assertive was nothing new, but being cold would take a lot more effort. And unfortunately, she had to combine the three into a flawless performance on the fly.

That first Conclave had been a disaster. Judy had fumbled and was unable to keep her composition at all. And in the end, they were only able to get the stolen artifact back thanks to Nick's quick acting. He originally was meant to be there as her guard, but when he saw her in trouble, he stepped in. Despite that, their secret identities became well known and feared in the underworld. So much so that Big suggested doing regular Conclaves to help keep an eye on the underworld activities that would normally be unavailable to ZPD.

After deliberations between Mr. Big, Bogo, and the Mayor, they agreed to let Nick and Judy run the Conclaves once every six months. Judy was determined to not screw up the next time, and with Nick's help, perfected her role as the cold, conniving Mistress. Though she quickly learned with the second Conclave that practice and execution were two very different things, especially when her nerves got in the way. And while she hadn't messed up the second Conclave, she had openly admitted to Nick that her performance should've been better. The third Conclave had been their best act yet. Early on, Nick had noted that her nerves were starting to get the better of her yet again. So as a way to help calm her down, he began to sexually play with her, going so far as to reposition her so she sat on his lap. Judy became so pissed at Nick for taking advantage of the situation, that acting cold suddenly became natural to her. Unfortunately, it also had affected their personal relationship, and for several month afterwards, Judy remained cold and closed off towards Nick.

It had been a couple months before the fourth Conclave when Nick finally admitted he loved her; _and_ that acting sexual during the Conclaves would only help them, not hurt them. The fourth Conclave had gone down without any issues at all, or so Judy would've like Nick to believe. But he knew that wasn't the case, he could see when she was nervous, tense, or even worried. Even after four Conclaves, Judy was still a mess of nervousness. And while she had help hiding it from everyone else (thanks to clever lighting), Nick could see it clear as day: her muscles tight with tense; her non stop twitching feet; even her scent was slightly off.

However, at some point between that last Conclave and now, Judy had managed to not just perfect her acting, but had refined it to a point beyond acting. She _was_ the Mistress. Everything about her from her stance to her scent said she was in charge. Her every movement was fluid and graceful; her voice steady and even mesmerizing. There wasn't a hint of nervousness anywhere. She was no longer the nervous wreck from that first Conclave; she was a woman of pure beauty and power.

That very woman came bounding through the sheers. Nick looked up just as Judy pulled the thick curtains closed. Coming around the couch, she kicked her heels back off and turned to him.

"Right, where were we?"

* * *

 **So... sorry it took so long to get this up. But, I did get the next one done too! So yay! two for the price of one!  
**  
 **Just a small warning, the next chapter is a sex scene!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! And don't be shy to let me know your thoughts!**


	6. Chapter 5: Quiet Time

**Warning! Sex scene ahead! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Quiet Time**

 _The bunny fell prey to the fox._ That was the last coherent thought that Judy had as she was lifted off her feet and onto Nick's lap; his lips coming into contact with hers during the process. When he finally broke the kiss, Judy had a single moment to realize that Nick had undone the clasps on her dress before he began nipping at her sensitive and exposed neck. Judy shivered as Nick began caressing her small breasts, having been revealed as her dress fell to her waist. Closing her eyes, she let herself drown in his husky scent that was getting stronger by the second.

She felt Nick's paws rub against her thighs. Every sense in her body tingled as Judy became acutely aware that she was no longer clothed. Seconds later, she was on her back and completely naked, her panties having disappeared as well. Nick moved from her neck to her breasts, brushing his teeth against her soft fur. Judy let out a soft moan as he teased her with his tongue before leaving a trail of kisses down her abdomen.

Her heart raced as she attempted to anticipate his next move. Nick had paused, but she could sense him. He was watching her; amused at the reaction to his hesitation. Her body ached for him to continue; practically begging as she clawed at the chair under her.

Nick chuckled. Judy opened her eyes to glare at him when the sudden sensation of his tongue inside her sent spasms through her body. She gasped, barely registering the sound of ripping fabric. Nick continued his oral administrations while she whimpered; each touch of his tongue sending her nerves into overdrive.

"You know, for someone with so much authority, you're awfully submissive." Nick commented when he paused several minutes later. Judy opened her mouth to retort back when he brushed against an extremely sensitive area, causing her to let out a moan instead.

Nick chuckled again, and she looked down just in time to watch him crawl on top of her. Hovering above her, Judy stared at his now nude body; he had stripped at some point while entertaining her. Nick bent down and gave her a kiss as she came to the sudden realization of what was about to happen next. When they parted, Judy once again attempted to speak. All at once, without any warning, he was inside her. Slowly, he pushed deeper inside, her entire body arching in response to the intrusion.

Every nerve in her body was on high alert. She was keenly aware of his every movement; the twitching of his muscles, the swishing of his tail, his heavy breathing. They stayed perfectly still for several moments.

Judy hadn't meant to be so loud. Nick had started pulsing, falling into a rhythmic pace. Judy cried out his name between moans, as she dug her nails into his back. He growled in response and pushed even further into her. She gave in, letting the pleasure numb her mind. Time no longer existed.

Some time later, Nick stopped and collapsed. They laid there together, both panting. Slowly, Judy's senses began returning: the thumping sound of the music, the rise in temperature in the room, the sweet and salty scent that hung in the air. They stayed like that for a long time; neither one of them moving. Judy would have loved to remain how they were, except a chill was starting to set in.

"Nick," Judy finally spoke. She kept her voice soft and quiet. Nick didn't respond. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her even closer to him.

Several minutes later, he finally let her go and pushed himself up so he was hovering over her again. Nick wasn't smirking or smiling; he looked content, and slightly tired. The expression reminded her of when they first had sex; Nick had been exhausted afterwards and claimed that she was a limitless energised bunny.

Nick bent down and gave her a kiss. Judy let out a small whimper as he removed himself from her and let himself fall onto his back next to her.

"I forgot how exhausting you are." Nick's voice was barely above a whisper. Judy watched as he tried desperately to fight sleep off.

With Nick no longer there covering most of her body, the cool temperature began to get to her. Standing up, she found where he had thrown her dress and panties, and quickly got herself dressed. Not that it helped much, the amount of exposed fur still left Judy cold. Grabbing her shoes, she exited the observatory and retrieved a long black cardigan that she always kept there from a coat hanger in the corner. Wrapping it around herself, she put her shoes on and stepped out of the private suite.

Sitting on the ground across from the double doors was Julia. She looked up at the sound of the opening door, and smiled at Judy.

"Can you prepare a carrot water and a blueberry water?"

"Of course!" the leopard exclaimed.

Judy turned and headed back towards the observatory. She nodded to the polar bear guards, stepping between them as they pulled ear plugs from their ears. Judy had been grateful that she'd remember to grab the plugs earlier that evening. She had expected Nick to act; and when he began making his move, she stopped him to give the bears ear plugs and have Julia step outside.

As she stepped through the curtains, she was surprised to find Nick dressed and playing on his phone. He gave her a smirk when he caught her staring at him.

"Mistress?" Julia's voice was muffled by the thick curtains.

"Come in Julia." Judy said and went to sit down on the chair. Julia stepped through holding two glasses and Judy quickly took the glasses from her and handed the one with a blue stirrer to Nick. "Can you open the curtains?"

"Yes Ma'am," Judy waited as the leopard opened the curtains and then excused herself from the observatory.

"I already told Gray," Nick said as Judy turned to stare in horror at the dozen or so tears that were now in the chair upholstery. "He said he'll talk to Big and get it fixed. And we'll get a file tomorrow for those claws of yours."

Judy could only nod. The things that fox could get her to do; it both terrified her and impressed her.

* * *

 **Yay! So it'll take me some time to get the next chapter up. I gotta work on my other story for awhile, or my lovely editor is gonna stop editing this story...**

 **Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! And please, let me know what you all think of the story so far.**


	7. Chapter 6: Sunday Afternoon

**Oh hey, lookie what I found! =D  
So, this has been sitting around for forever waiting for me to finally post it. (Also, I think I was waiting for my editor to read it. I have no clue if she ever did, so be prepared for mistakes!) **

**Thanks for waiting, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Sunday Afternoon**

Nick stared at the ceiling above him. He wasn't sure what woke him up, but he was now wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep. As he continued to stare at the ceiling, he let his mind wander back over the events of the last 24 hours.

Movement to his right caught his attention. The fluffy blankets shifted a little and a soft sigh was heard from under them. Nick lifted the blanket enough to peek under; a small ball of grey fur laid there, the tiny body rising and falling. Judy was naked, again.

Nick smiled to himself as laid the covers back down. Returning to staring at the ceiling, he allowed the mental images of the night before to resurface. Nick actually hadn't meant to do anything, or at least that's what he kept trying to tell himself.

He mentally shook himself. It was a lie; a really big, fat lie. Ever since that afternoon when Nick had caught her sleeping naked, all he wanted to do was take her. And of course the sexy dress hadn't helped either. He was grateful when it became clear that the feeling was mutual: Nick wanted Judy as much as she wanted him. As the memory continue to replay in his mind, he couldn't help smile. It had truly been amazing, though not quite what Nick had envisioned upon his return.

Letting out a sigh, Nick finally turned and looked at the little alarm clock. It was seven minutes past two. Reluctantly, he extracted himself from the covers and stood up. As much as he missed his bed, he knew that he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep.

Nick crossed the room and began getting himself ready for the day. He hadn't gotten far. Standing in front of the mirror, Nick glared at himself as he tried to recall memories of earlier that morning; specifically how he ended up dressed in only his casual street pants, with no shirt. And no boxers. He remembered having sex, and being exhausted afterwards, forcing himself to get dressed after Judy had left the observation room, and someone handing him a drink of something. But after that, exhaustion set in and things got blurry.

He gave up trying to piece together the fragments of memory. It hadn't been the first time he lost track of an entire evening due to exhaustion; and in his experience, a hot shower, some food, and relaxation would be enough for Nick to remember anything that might have been important.

Or worse case scenario, he'd ask Judy when she woke up. Though that would require admitting to being a walking zombie fox.

One shower later, Nick was properly dressed with a pair of grey sweats over his favorite carrot boxers and a dark blue ZPD t-shirt. Grabbing his phone, he silently made his way to the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Nick scoured the cupboards for something to snack on. Judy hadn't exactly told the truth the day before; they did have food, but it was either canned, dried, or frozen. There was hardly anything fresh in the fridge, and it would take severe creativity to create a meal out of what they did have. Grabbing a paper and pen, Nick started a list of things to get at the store.

While looking amongst their baking goods, something caught his eye. With a mischievous grin, Nick put the list on the counter and grabbed the brown sugar. Sliding across the kitchen, he took a stick of butter and the only bundle of carrots from the fridge. He sat them on the counter and went to work.

Roughly thirty minutes and two alarms later, Judy emerged from the bedroom just as Nick turned off the burner he was using. She wore a pair of faded blue shorts and light blue plaid shirt.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a small smile.

"Just making a little snack before going shopping." Nick grabbed two bowls and poured half of the concoction he'd made into each. After placing a fork in each bowl, he offered her one of the bowls. Judy's nose twitched continuously as she took the bowl and peered at its contents.

"Wait. These are carrots." Nick continued to watch her as she took a taste. "Oh my gawd. This is amazing!" she exclaimed and quickly took another bite.

Nick didn't respond, but instead started on his own bowl of glazed carrots.

"Uh, Nick? You don't like carrots." Judy had finally looked up and saw him eating.

"Oh please! I'm pretty sure I made it very clear last night that I lov-"

"I mean vegetable carrots." Judy said exasperated, cutting him off.

Nick flashed her his signature smirk. "When I was real little, my mother had this friend who liked to cook for parties and events, and she would often go over and help her. I liked to tag along cause I could snack on the leftovers from when they made too much." Nick paused to take a bite. "Anyway, they liked to make things that both prey and predator could enjoy, and glazed carrots was often a favorite."

Nick could see Judy's heart melting at his story. And he knew that she would try and take the chance to ask about his family or past. She always did whenever he revealed some part of his past.

"So, with that, we should really hurry and go to the store." Nick said quickly, keeping her from getting the chance to ask any more questions.

Nick gently tossed the dishes into the sink, making sure to add a little water to help make it easier to clean later on, and grabbed the list before leading the way out to the truck. While Judy drove to the store, Nick read off the list of items he had put together. He had done pretty well to remember everything they normally kept on paw, including several items that only she ate. She reminded him of a few that he had forgotten and added a couple additional items. To save time, they agreed to stay to the list unless they saw something they absolutely needed and had forgotten to add.

Nick had forgotten how easy and quick going to the store with a rabbit could be. While he pushed the cart, Judy would run around grabbing what they needed and deposit the items into the cart. In no time, they had everything they needed from the store and were ready to check out.

Instead of going straight home, Judy took a small detour before parking the truck in front of a produce stand. Nick waited in the truck while she went and purchased fresh fruits and vegetables from the rabbit in charge of the stand. After placing the fresh produce in the bed of the truck, Judy hopped in and turned the vehicle in the direction of the apartment.

They were able to take all the groceries up to the apartment in one trip, and while Judy put all the food away, Nick washed the dishes from their snack earlier.

"Turned out the beaver was just real- Hey…this wasn't on the list," Judy had been explaining one of many dud leads they had had on the case so far when she stopped and held up a small file that she had found in one of the bags.

Nick smirked. "I told you last night that we'd get a file for those claws of yours."

"I kinda thought you were joking." Judy was blushing, no doubt remember last night's events.

"Well, I wasn't." Nick took the file and put it on the counter for later. "So what happened with the beaver?"

"Oh, he was drunk. When he came to the next day, he had no idea what had happened the night before."

Judy finished putting away everything in the fridge. Nick had finished the dishes and helped her put the last few things away. When they were done, Judy began cooking some frozen noodle stir-fry that they had gotten while Nick went over and turned the TV on.

She had been telling him another story of how they had pursued a weasel who had attempted to sell drugs at the club. He had only been half listening, as he was more interested in watching Judy bustle around the kitchen instead.

"So they were able to lock him up anyways on possession charges." Judy handed Nick a bowl of noodle goodness.

"You know, I think we'd have an easier time finding needles in a haystack then the guy who's behind these tablets." Nick took his bowl of noodles and sat down on the couch.

Judy sighed. "I know. I mean, we have had a good couple leads. But to be honest, I don't think we're any closer to finding this guy than we were two months ago." Judy sat down next to Nick on the couch. "I think Bogo might even pull the case if we don't get anything from the conclave."

"Wait, what conclave?" Nick sputtered, trying not to get bits of stir-fry everywhere.

"Uh...the conclave we have every six months."

"Yeah, but the last conclave was only…." he fell silent as he slowly realized that it had already been six months. Of course there would be another conclave soon. "Right. So when is the next conclave?"

"In three days. It's on Wednesday."

Three days didn't give them much time to prepare for it. Normally Big would give them a two week notice before the scheduled day of the conclave. That way they could gather the information they needed to get the most out of the conclave. But this time, they'd only have three days to gather background intel on the attendees and figure out who would be the best target to go after. Already the pressure was starting to get to him; making him itch to stand up and start researching. He couldn't even imagine how Judy was taking it.

And then the brakes hit. Judy was calm. She sat there eating and watching the silly movie Nick had put on. There were no signs of any eagerness to plan, to make sure this conclave would be flawless. And the way she had talked. She spoke as if it wasn't a problem. As if everything was under control; there wasn't anything to worry about. As if she _was_ ready. Big _had_ given her the two week notice. She probably had everything they needed within days of finding out.

Everything, except Nick.

Suddenly, the last 36 hours made sense. Nick now understood why Bogo had sent in the Midnight Tablets. Why the overly cautious and strict buffalo had taken a chance he normally never would. He needed Nick back.

Nick remembered when they first started the conclaves; Bogo had been real worried about Judy. Sure, the little bunny could take care of herself, but the conclaves would be in a whole new arena for her. Bogo wanted to make sure she was safe. That's why he agreed to involve Mr. Big.

"Earth to Nick." Judy's voice brought him back to the present.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." Nick mentally shook himself.

"I noticed." She paused while he took a bite of his noodles. "What about?"

Nick swallowed. "Just the conclaves. Speaking of which, do you have the intel?"

"Of course." She stood up, putting her bowl of noodles on the coffee table in the process, and headed over to the dining room table. After digging through the piles of paperwork that cluttered the table, she came back over with three folders. "These three are the targets."

Nick took the folders from her and read the names that were printed on the them. "Piggy Snoot. Jerry Thomouse. And," Nick looked up. "Vernon Claw? Are you serious?!"

Judy's eyes widen as she took a step back. Nick's heart ached as he realized his reaction not only caught her off guard, but scared her.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "It's just, these three are well known criminal bosses in the underground."

"Could've fooled me," Judy sat back down beside him. "I couldn't find anything on any of them."

"Heh, of course not. If the police knew of half the things these three have done, they wouldn't be on the streets still."

"Well, how about enlightening the police right now?" Judy reached over and picked up her bowl.

Nick took a deep sigh and looked at the clock. "Alright. But it'll have to be quick. I don't like talking about them, but I definitely don't like talking about them in public, and especially anyone from the underground.

"Thomouse. He's your run of the mill doormouse. Except he also happens to be the head of the largest and most successful thieves ring. Remember that artifact we had to track down six months ago?" Judy nodded. "Well, I found out from Big that it had been Thomouse who was hired to steal it. He's good; he doesn't get caught, he doesn't leave any clues."

"Is that why you completely ignored the crime scene?"

"Yup. Cause anything that was found was either left on purpose, or had no importance. And even if we went to him, it wouldn't matter. He deals in hired work only." Nick eyed his bowl of half eaten noodles, and reluctantly took a bite despite his sudden lack of hunger. "Ms. Piggy is the queen of acquisition. You want something, she'll get it."

"Isn't that what Jerry Thomouse does?"

"Kinda. He steals what his clients want. Ms. Piggy will import it illegally for hers."

Judy swallowed. "Wait, import? As in...from outside of Zootopia?"

"Yup. And I know for a fact that she doesn't use the normal legal channels. She makes more money by charging the same as other venders and using illegal, and obviously cheaper channels of acquiring her goods." Nick took another bite while Judy mused on what he's told her so far.

"And Vernon Claw?" Nick visibly shuddered. He hadn't meant to, but the mere thought of the name made him want to crawl under a rock and never come out. He had spent his entire life avoiding Claw, and in three days, he'd be sitting in the same room as him.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the fact that Judy would be there too...he couldn't even finish the thought.

"Claw is the last animal you want to see. He's an assassin criminal mastermind. He has personally killed more animals than I can count, and has ordered the deaths of countless more. He's the guy you hire if you want someone dead."

The air was thick between them as they sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Judy broke the silence. "How has he not been caught yet?"

"Cause he's good. Just like the others, he knows how to cover his tracks." Judy gave a small chuckle. "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just remembering something Bogo had told me when he gave me the list of names." Nick raised an eyebrow. "He told me that Big said you wouldn't like who was attending this round."

Nick laughed. "Yeah, Big knows me."

* * *

 **But wait! There's more!**


	8. Chapter 7: The Unexpected

**Okay, so remember how I said Chapter 6 had been sitting around for awhile...well, it wasn't the only one. I have had both Chapter's 7 and 8 done and ready to post (minus the editing... again I don't think she got to it...).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Unexpected**

"Would it kill him to play something faster?" Nick groaned.

It was pretty quiet and slow for a sunday evening. Even Finnick felt it, given that all the songs he was playing had slow and lazy beats to them.

Judy checked the time on the tablet she was using; 9:37PM. The club usually picked up around this time. Yet, there wasn't nearly the amount of patrons as there normally would be.

She looked out, staring out at the club below them, her mind drifting back to earlier that afternoon. Ever since Nick shared their targets true line of work, she had this feeling that she just couldn't shake.

Judy ran through all the intel they had. The three targets, all big underground crime bosses, were not at all what she had expected. With each specializing in a different type of crime, it was hard to imagine them being remotely useful to the investigation. When Big had given her the names, she thought they were linked to some kind of botanical line of work. The conclave was suppose to be the big break in the case; everything was riding on getting something that could break the case wide open. But now she wondered if Big was just setting her up.

 _No, there has to be something I'm not seeing_ , Judy thought to herself. There had to be something she was missing.

"I think he's played this song already tonight." Nick's voice startled Judy, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced sideways at him. He was still relaxed, lounging on the brand new round chair with his paws behind his head. "Penny for your thoughts."

"Huh?" she looked at him, puzzled. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just working on paperwork."

"Right. Cause working on paperwork involves staring at the club like it stole your cabbage."

"Wha… How did you-"

Nick leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, then whispered into her ear. "I'm always watching. Especially you."

Judy blinked a couple times; her mind clouded as she processed what he said. He chuckled at her momentary confusion, then leaned back and smirked.

"Fine," she finally said, but the sound of the suite's doors opening kept her from saying anything else.

Seconds later, Gray walked through the curtains and bowed. "I apologize for the interruption. We have a bit of a situation down stars."

Judy sat up a bit straighter. "What kind of situation?"

"There is a fox who wants to see you. I've told him that he needs to make an appointment first, but he insists on speaking with you tonight."

This was both curious and concerning to Judy. Normally, Glenn could take care of guests; convince them to make an appointment and or leave. And Gray was even more capable of such. Yet, here he was informing her that the issue had escalated too far for either wolf to deal with.

"What events led up to this point?" Nick's voice startled her. Judy had been so used to dealing with these things on her own, she had completely forgotten he was there. Before Gray could answer, Nick added, "the short version preferably."

Gray nodded. "The gentleanimal came in a little over an hour ago and sat at the bar. After a drink or two, he asked for some Midnight. But instead of taking it, he put it in a pouch and stuck it in his pocket. Glenn informed him that he couldn't take the tablet out of the club, but the gentleanimal began asking questions about it and The Mistress. It was then that he asked to speak with her."

"Right, please hav-" before Judy could finish, Nick cut her off.

"What kind of questions?"

Gray looked at Judy, who immediately understood where Nick was going and nodded. "Things like how was it made, who makes it, how long have we been selling it, and who The Mistress is."

Judy was quiet for a moment. Those types of questions weren't the normal kinds you'd expect. Who ever this animal was, he wanted information. The thought that it might be the one behind the Howler Tablets crossed her mind. She looked to Nick; he too appeared to be having his own suspicions. He glanced back, then turned to Gray.

"Escort him up." Gray looked at Judy, who nodded her approval, then turned and left the observation room.

Judy watched as Nick straightened his tie and suit and put on his sunglasses. "You can have your penny back."

Nick chuckled. "I don't think it's the animal making the Tablets. This is someone who either knows something and wants to confirm with our information, or is gathering intel. Regardless, they may know something we don't"

Judy straightened her dress and gloves. "So, what do we do?"

Nick walked over to her and straightened the ribbon on her ear. "We wait. Let them make the first move."

Judy was about to respond when Gray re-entered, followed by the footsteps of two large animals and one smaller. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the curtains. Standing in front of her was a white male fox dressed in a classy blue suit.

"You're a bunny." The fox said. His expression remained blank, even though his voice suggested he was actually quite surprised.

Judy smiled as she watched the fox try to keep his composure. She remained quiet while the fox studied her. _Let them make the first move._

"Why're you here?"

Nick's voice broke the silence. Judy looked to the direction his voice came from only to find him to her right. As she silently wondered when he got there, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. The fox seemed to finally break his composer, as he stared in shock at Nick.

"I'll ask you again, Artie: why are you here?"

* * *

 _ **Just keep reading. Just keep reading. Just keep reading.**_


	9. Chapter 8: Big Break

**Okay, last chapter of my big update! Again, prolly not edited, so I sincerely apologize! I think this actually one of my favorite chapters!**

 **Thanks for reading as always!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Big Break**

Nick was in the worst of moods.

And the white fox wasn't making it any better.

He leaned against the couch armrest, his arms folded in front of his chest, and glared at Artie who sat on the couch across from him. They had migrated to the couches after Artie failed to answer and Judy suggested in a firm tone that they take a seat, stealing the chance to whisper in Nick's ear, "I thought we were supposed to let _him_ make the first move." Nick had waved her off and instead took up his current position while staring daggers at the other fox.

"Allow me to introduce Artie Snow. He was my _partner_ in the border case." Nick spat out the word 'partner' with such disgust that even a drunk polar bear couldn't miss it. This finally seemed to shock the other fox out of his trance, giving Nick a mixed look of confusion and hurt.

"Oh, so you're the classified info," Judy said. She sat on the couch next to Nick with her legs crossed and her paws resting in her lap.

"Classified info?" Artie asked.

Nick raised an eyebrow as he gave her a look.

Judy smirked. "I routinely read Lang's reports. Right after the cease order came through, I tried to find out why. Of course, that was when Bogo finally caught me. When I asked about the latest report and who the new UC was, all he said was it was classified info."

Nick returned her smirk with one of his own. "You know you weren't spose to read those."

"Sure, but that wouldn't have stopped you," Judy replied.

 _What have I done?_ Nick thought to himself.

"Wait, you're a cop? I thought you were suppose to be The Mistress?" it was obvious from his tone to his face that Artie was more confused than ever. And Nick was enjoying every second of it.

"I'm both," Judy clarified. "The Mistress is my cover."

"But I had heard that the Mistress and the Black Fox were high level crime lords working with Mr. Big."

Nick laughed. "High level?"

Artie huffed. "So if she's the Mistress, then who are you?"

"The Black Fox, obviously." Had Nick said it, Artie probably would've laughed. But the fact that it came from Judy put all the more truth into the words, leaving a very stunned Artie.

"And Mr. Big? Is he undercover too?"

"Oh no," Nick said, all amusement suddenly gone. "He is one of the biggest crime lords in Zootopia."

"But-," Nick cut him off before Artie could finish the sentence.

"He's practically family to us," Nick glanced at the polar bears in the room, but none of them seemed to object with what he said. "He helps us from time to time. Always from the shadows. And we make sure that his involvement isn't known."

"But you didn't come here to question our roles," Judy interrupted. "Now how about we get back to the main issue: what is your interest in the Midnight Tablet?"

Nick watched as Artie was taken aback by the sudden change in topic before recomposing himself to a much more serious tone.

Artie paused for a few minutes, then said, "Does the Chief know you're selling this drug?"

Nick silently grumbled before repeating Judy's question. "What is your interest in the Midnight Tablet?"

Again, Artie took his time to reply. "This is a pretty neat operation you have here."

Nick had had enough. He stood up and walked towards to the bar, with his back to the couches and a very talkative Artie, inconspicuously removing his phone from his pocket as he went. He navigated over to the message app and search among his contacts till he found the one he was looking for.

 _\- - -  
we have a rather annoying situation_

 _ **Not even two nights and you're already bothering me. Fine, what?**_

 _a certain artic fox showed up here demanding to know about the midnight. now he knows who we are but wont tell us why he wanted to know in the first place_

 _ **Wait, Snow is there?**_

 _yup_

 _ **And he won't tell you why?**_

 _nope_

 _ **…**_

 _tell you what, i wont bug you anymore if i can use certain unregulated information gathering techniques_

 _ **Fine. But no breaking things. And no life-threatening actions. I want him alive and able to work tomorrow.**_

 _you got it Chief! =)  
\- - -_

Nick stuck his phone back into his pocket and turned his attention back to the still blabbering fox. He turned to the nearest bear and made eye contact. With a smug look and a wave of his paw, Nick silently order the bear to intervene. Within seconds, the bear was behind Artie's couch and had the white fox in the air.

"Wha- wha- what's going on?" Stammered the now airborne fox.

"You're going to tell us why you're here," Judy replied, crossing her arms as a sly grin grew. Nick walked back to his armrest as he watched the other fox struggle.

"Fine. But only if you tell the polar bear to put me down."

"Nope. We tried the civil way. You refused to talk. Now we're doing things my way." Judy's tone had changed. Her Mistress was coming out and Nick was thoroughly enjoying it.

Artie continued to struggle and bargain to be put down. And even more annoyingly, refusing to talk. _At least we won't be bored for the rest of the night_ , Nick thought.

"Go get the chains," Judy ordered another bear.

Artie panicked. "Chains? What chains?" But no one answered him.

A few minutes later, the bear came back with a whole bunch of chains in his paws and began preparing them for Artie.

"It's times like these that I wish we had Big's ice pool here." Judy sighed.

Nick smirked. "We can always hang him here till it's time to go, then ship him off to Big to deal with."

"True," Judy agreed.

Artie stared in horror at the two, and for the first time that night, said something really smart. "Fine! I'll talk!"

Nick and Judy waited while Artie paused, obviously hoping that one of them would order his freedom. When it didn't come, the fox sighed.

"I'm was looking into the Midnight Tablet cause it looked like another drug I'd seen on the streets. The truth is I'm looking for the animal who makes the other drug."

"Why?" Judy asked.

"Because I let him escape." Artie looked down, ashamed of himself.

"And what's this other drug?" Nick asked.

"It's called Howler tablets."

Nick looked at Judy, then sighed and waved the bears off. They let Artie go and left the room, taking the chains with them. Artie looked around, slightly puzzled but relieved.

"How about you tell us everything; start from the beginning and leave nothing out," Nick instructed Artie.

Artie nodded, this time cooperating. "The tablets started popping up in Crossing about 9 months ago. The case became a top priority and every animal was at their wits end trying to get the guy. We finally tracked down a name, Marris Mascarpone, and began the difficult task of finding him. When we finally found a location, me and my partner went over there. But it was too late, the place had been scorched and Mascarpone was on the run. I decided to try and see if I could head him off at one of the city's exits, but he had come prepared. You see, I headed the entire case, and he somehow knew that."

Artie took a drink of water that had been brought over by the leopard behind the bar. Nick and Judy waited silently for him to continue.

"He had my kid brother. He threatened to hurt him if I didn't let him leave town. And as a reward for "obeying", he told me where he was headed."

"Here, to Zootopia." Judy said.

"Yup. I was put on leave for my actions, and fired not long after that. So I decided to come here, find him and finish what I started. I lied to Bogo and played undercover for him till I could get the opportunity to look into it. And that's everything."

"Why would Mascarpone come here? Isn't the main ingredient for his howler tablets…." Judy trailed off before letting out a gasp.

Nick looked over to find her wide eyed and slack jawed.

"Night Howlers! Big's planning to auction off Night Howlers!" Judy exclaimed.

"Of course! Those three would do anything to get their paws on a batch of Night Howlers. And I can guarantee that even Piggy can't get Night Howlers over the border." Nick added. "It's perfect! We can use one of those three to sniff out Mascarpone, who won't pass up the opportunity to get them and we'll have Mascarpone in the bag!"

"Yeah, but this is really risky. There are so many factors at play here that could go wrong. Namely the possibility of losing a single Night Howler bulb. Never mind the fact that they'll probably be on the lookout for anything other than the real deal. And that's assuming they'll even risk taking the bait." Judy's fears were legitimate, but Nick knew it was a gamble they were going to have to take.

"Can we take a step back and explain what you all are talking about?" Artie asked.

It was Nick's turn to explain things. "Several years ago, we had an incident with Night Howlers. It almost tore the whole city apart. But thanks to Judy," Nick nodded to Judy.

"And you!" Judy added, looking back at Nick.

"We were able to find the source and shut it down. But as a precaution, the flower was banned from the city and put on serious high alert systems in the countryside. So when the Howler Tablet showed up, it caused a lot of confusion and panic. This operation with the Midnight Tablet was set up in hopes of smoking out the maker, and shutting down the source," Nick finished.

"So does that mean Bogo does know about this?"

"Yup," Nick confirmed.

"And Mascarpone hasn't been able to get Night Howlers this entire time?"

"Yes, which would also explain why the Howler Tablets kinda disappeared," Judy confirmed.

Silence fell on the three for several minutes. Finally, Nick stood up and dug into his pocket for his phone again.

"What are you doing?" Judy questioned him.

"Calling Bogo. Somebody needs to tell him."

* * *

 **So, here's where I tell you that I have no idea when I'll get around to finishing the story. But never fear, I will finish it, so please be patient!** **And as always thank you for reading!**


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